Uniform cap



Nov. 13, 1951 H. LEV 2,575,114

UNIFORM CAP Filed Jan. 19, 1949 IN VEN TOR. Far q [5y Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF I CE UNIFORM CAP narryiL v. Ch a o, 11L Application January19, 1949, Serial No. 71,715!) is-loiaims. (01. 2-195) This invention. which relatesgenerally to a uniform cap having-a frame whereon may be fitted a flexible cover, is-concerned more par ticularly with a distending band or grommet for the cap cover and with the means for-attaching the same to an upstanding: supporting stay.

The grommet herein disclosed istubular in cross section and made from a rubber-like material that both-flexible andresilient. Its two ends are coupled to produce an endlessxband, and for-this purpose I may employashort plugw-hose. opposite end portions are fitted. snugly within the hollow proximate end .portions .of-the grommet. To supportsuch.anendless-grommetat thefront of the .cap annpstanding stay-is used and connected to the .grommet'by 'means of fingers:

which are bent aroundand. clinched upon the grommet in the region of the coupling plug. The.

gripping fingers :of the stay thus serve-:to :.support the grommet and, of equal importance, theyenhance securement of the ends of .the grommet to the coupling iplug. This :novel zmeans wherebythe-grommet, plug,and.supportingstayarecoordinated to perform severai functions :a'tonce is highly desirable; a strongriastemng is thereby produced, and because of its simplicity, dual function, and ease of assembly, such a. construction results in great economy together with a much .improved uniform cap. v

My invention has for itsprimary object the provision of a novel means of coupling the two ends of a flexible tubular grommet :so as to form an endless band and, at the same time and by the same means, connect with an upstanding supportingstay at 'the'frontofthe cap. A,f.ur therob'ject is to provide a grommet andstayassembly which is simplified and economicalto produce.

-Referring to the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is aperspective-view .of a uniform cap of the general type to which my invention applies;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary central'vertical section through the front portion of the cap;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, look ing from the front, showing the grommet, the supporting stay, and the holder therefor; and

Fig. 4 which is a fragmentary perspective view, looking from the rear and partly broken away to exhibit certain parts in section, shows the grommet, the coupling plug therein, and the supporting stay.

The present cap may be conventional in that it comprises, in combination, an endless frame F, made desirably of fiber, plastic, or the like,

all)

This frame, whichoptionally may be fabriccovered, furnishes on its inner face a mount-'- ing for a holder H in-the form .of a plate-which is transversely bowed and from which tines ll] way as this the holder is secured fixedly to the frame.

A pair of endwise-ibowed bars :lil is also struck. out to lie spaced from the holder plate to which they remain connected at their-ends. *These bars which are. disposed inwardly of therholder furnish a mounting for. the bowed lower .end 1'2 of an upstanding stay S in the former a strap which may .beslidably fitted to the inside .Of the bars against the inner face ofztheplateto extend upwardly of the frame. A stay-holden-assem-.-

bly of this kind is suggested .as appropriate in;

connection with the present invention. The stay in its-upper end region is inclined-forwardlydn accordance with usual practice.

An elongated .slot l1 iisformed in the --uppe r endwregionof the stay :fromiwhose top is inwardly curved a pair of spaced fingers l8 which -;a,r e-

disposed oppositely ofthelongitudi-nal .center .;of the stay. The: lower finger l8, also curved, ;i s

struck inwardly from the stay at the -upperengl.

of .theslot H at a point intermediately of the top fingers. The {curvatures of all three fingers are concentric, .anditogether, i. e. one top :-flnger and the lower 'fingerrthey extend through anarc ofiapproximately A- tip .2 0 upstandsstraight from the 'lowerzfinger l9, and other tips v2,| depend straight from ithe toprfingers -I 8, all the :tips being-coplanar. 'The fingers-and tips thus 'fom;negl. and positioned define between them an .imaginary opening :havinga configuration which is,

substantially D-shaped or half-round.

There iii-91180 provided a ,grommetvG which fits within the tip :portion .of the cap cover C -fordistension thereof. This .grommet which .-is made fromasuitable rubberelike material isbQthwfieX- ible and-resilient, .and preferably -:tubu1ar.;and'

D-shaped or half-round in cross section. The

two ends of the grommet are releasably coupled together so as to provide an endless band, and for this purpose I may employ a plug 22 an inch or two long whose opposite end portions are adapted to be inserted into the hollow ends of the grommet for frictional engagement therewith. Desirably this grommet is of the same material and cross section (internally) as is the tubular grommet itself so as to provide therefor a solid core throughout the region of the coupling.

The stay S is secured to the grommet by means of the fingers l8 and I9 which may be pressed toward the grommet for pressure engagement therewith. The two top fingers 18 then compress the top of the grommet downwardly while clinching it on the inner side at spaced points one near each end of the grommet; while the lower finger in the center upwardly compresses the lower side of the grommet and clinches its inner side at substantially the point of juncture of the grommet ends. All three fingers compress the grommet tightly against the plug 22 so as to securely lock the ends of the grommet together and in addition securely fasten the stay to the grommet.

The means herein disclosed for coupling the grommet ends to each other and to the supporting stay is, of course, applicable to various types of stays, the one herein illustrated and described being chosen by way of example only.

I claim:

1. For use with a uniform cap having a frame whereon may be fitted a flexible cover, an assembly comprising a tubular resilient grommet adapted for reception within the tip portion of the cover for distension thereof, a plug fitted into the meeting end portions of the grommet for frictional connection therewith, a stay upstanding from the frame at the cap front, and vertically spaced means extended from the top portion of the stay in pressure engagement with opposite sides of the grommet at the upper and lower edges thereof.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 in which the grommet has a D-shaped cross section with its flat side inwardly thereof, in which the plug has a similar cross sectional configuration, and in which each of the spaced means in pressure engagement with the grommet is in contact therewith on both its curved and fiat sides.

' 3; An assembly according to claim 1 in which the spaced means in engagement with the grommet comprises three fingers in vertically staggered arrangement, the middle finger contacting the grommet at a point opposite the plug medially thereof. r

4. For use with a uniform cap having a frame whereon may be fitted a flexible cover, an assembly comprising a tubular grommet extended substantially through a circle and adapted for reception within the tip portion of the cover for distension thereof, a stay upstanding at the cap front, coupling means at one grommet end in engagement with the opposite end portion of the grommet to establish a frictional connection therebetween. and means extended from the stay in supporting engagement with the grommet and exerting pressure upon the coupling means to augment the frictional connection between the two grommet ends.

5. For use with a uniform cap having a frame whereon may be fitted a flexible cover, an assembly comprising a tubular resilient grommet adapted for reception within the tip portion of the cover for distension thereof, a plug fitted into the meeting end portions of the grommet.

for frictional connection therewith, a stay upstanding from the frame at the cap front, and vertically spaced means extended from the top portion of the stay in engagement with opposite sides of the grommet at the upper and lower edges thereof, the spaced means being located at points opposite the plug within the end portions of the grommet and in pressure contact therewith to augment frictional connection between the grommet end portions and the plug engaged thereby.

6. For use with a uniform cap having a frame whereon may be fitted a flexible cover, an assembly comprising a grommet extended substantially through a circle and adapted for reception within the tip portion of the cover for distension thereof, a stay upstanding at the cap front, means connecting together the two ends of the grommet, and fingers extended from the stay in supporting pressure engagement with the grommet.

'7. For use with a uniform cap having a frame whereon may be fitted a flexible cover, an assembly comprising a resilient grommet adapted for reception within the tip portion of the cover for distension thereof, a stay upstanding from the frame at the cap front, and vertically spaced means extended from the top portion of the stay in pressure engagement with opposite sides of the grommet at the upper and lower edges thereof.

8. An assembly according to claim '7 in which there is an elongated slot in the stay extending nearly to its top, and in which the spaced means in engagement with the grommet comprises a lower finger struck inwardly from the stay at the upper end of the slot therein and an upper finger extended inwardly from the top of the stay.

9. An assembly according to claim 7 in which there is an elongated slot in the stay extendingv nearly to its top, and in which the spaced means in engagement with the grommet comprises a lower finger struck inwardly from the stay at the upper end of the slot therein and a pair of spaced upper fingers extended inwardly from the top of the stay and at points which are staggered with respect to the lower finger therebetween.

HARRY LEV.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

